Hey there, travelpreneur!
So when I first introduced the topic of commercial travel writing earlier this month, I mentioned one of the benefits of doing this work is that you don’t have to pitch. Although this is true, you still have to get yourself in front of potential clients.
While you could spend your time scrolling through sites like Upwork, Freelancer, or ProBlogger, you actually end up bidding for jobs that generally pay very little. A better strategy would be to use your network to secure referrals or get connected with brands that need your services.
Alternatively, you can master the art of the LOI (aka the pitch of the business world). LOI stands for letter of interest or letter of introduction (depending on who you ask) and it is used to introduce yourself to a company or agency and offer your interest in joining their team as a freelancer.
Just like sending a pitch, your LOI should be customized according to the company you’re contacting for the best results. So, you need to do your research in advance.
But here are some of the main elements to include in your LOI:
A Subject Line that indicates your experience & niche. (e.g. published freelance wellness travel content marketing writer).
An introductory sentence that highlights the niche you specialize in and the type of content you create (e.g. sustainable travel + copywriting or family travel + social media captions).
A brief paragraph that outlines the reasons why your content would be valuable for their company. (e.g. direct response emails that drive conversions for travel agencies).
A few sentences that inform the company of any relevant experience in this writing field, familiarity with their audience, or where you’ve published similar content. This is a good place to include any impressive stats or results.
Links to your portfolio or relevant samples. Try to include at least 3 clips to provide a good overview of your writing abilities.
As with a brand collab pitch, you want to make sure you’re emailing the decision-makers and have addressed the contact by name. And don’t forget to follow up a week later if you don’t get a response to your LOI.
For some great examples of an LOI, check out Jennifer Goforth Gregory’s book, The Freelance Content Marketing Writer!
Next week, we’ll finish off this series with a couple of insider tips to help you become a highly-paid freelance travel writer…
The Good Stuff 🔥
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Paid & Sponsored Opportunities 🤑
👉 Insider is seeking freelancers to write about Disneyland. They are specifically seeking unique circumstances, for example, “big families, traveling on a budget, former Disneyland employees, people who’ve been going for 30+ years.” Their rates start at around $210.If interested, DM their editor on Twitter. Read their editor’s Tweet here. Contact them here.
👉 Explore.com is looking for a Travel Features Writer. As a new Static Media site, it means this will be an ongoing freelance job with a flexible schedule and the ability to take on a good amount of stories. The pay rate isn’t great but if you want to get some steady work or some travel clips under your belt, check this out.
👉 It’s now possible to experience a world-unique sauna in the heart of Dalarna, in central Sweden. As part of a guided tour, you can venture down into a disused mine to experience the newly opened sauna. You can also indulge in a mystical, atmospheric sauna ritual. If this is your niche, contact Cecilia Jansson cecilia.jansson@visitdalarna.se
👉 Sidetracked Magazine publishes stories of adventure, from anywhere in the world. Rates are between “£200 and £450 (this encompasses everything from short 5-600-word Single Moments to 2,000-word features)”. See the Twitter thread here and contributor guidelines here.
👉 English Holiday Cruises will be adding the Severn Vale Discovery Cruise to its itinerary of sailings in 2023. The six-night cruise will be aboard the 4-star MV Edward Elgar, the largest hotel boat in the UK, which has 11 guest cabins and a top viewing deck 15 feet above the water. If this is your niche, contact Stacey Everest at stacey@bloxhampr.com
*Remember if you want first access to these leads, call-outs, and opportunities as well as the ones I don’t share in the newsletter, plus exclusive guides, templates, resources, and pitching sprints, you can join the Wildly Successful Travelpreneurs membership for only $9!
Interesting Reads... 📰
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Bonus Content 🤩
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Until next week…
With love,
Daniella
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